Can opener



G. H. COPLEN Dec. 8, 1953 CAN OPENER Filed June 30, 1952 INVENTOR. 65mm: 6021.5

Patented Dec. 8, 1Q53 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN OPENER- George H. Coplen, Cripple Creek, 0010.

Application June '30, 1952, SerialNo. 296,290 7 This invention relates to a can opener, and has for its principal object the provision of a simple, light-weight, portable can opener which will quickly and easily cut away and remove the lid of a can of any type or shape.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can opener which will prevent the severed lid from dropping into the can.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction" of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a left side elevation of the improved can opener, illustrating it in place on a typical can;

Fig. 2 is a right side elevation thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a front end view of the improved can opener.

The improved opener employs an elongated guide bar I along which a carriage member may be freely slid. The forward extremity of the bar II] is turned downwardly to form a pivot member l2, and the lower extremity of the pivot member is sharpened and extends forwardly to form a can-piercing point l3. The rear extremity of the bar It terminates in a suitable lower handle I 4.

The carriage member supports a stationary transverse shaft I5 which extends oppositely outward from both sides of the carriage member. A ratchet wheel 18 is rotatably mounted on the shaft l5 at one side of the carriage member A bifurcated forward extremity H; on an upper handle member H is rotatably mounted on the opposite extremities of the shaft l5 and extends on opposite sides of the carriage member H and retains the ratchet wheel l8 thereagainst.

The ratchet wheel I8 is provided with peripheral ratchet teeth l9 and with inclined or beveled teeth 2|] about its inner periphery. A leaf ratchet spring 2| is secured on the bottom of the handle I! by means of suitable rivets 23 or other attachment means. The forward extremity of the ratchet spring 2| is positioned to contact the bottom of the extremity H3 and to engage the peripheral ratchet teeth IQ of the ratchet wheel l8. A click spring 24 is secured on the carriage member H and positioned to en- 2 Claims. (Cl. 30-20) 1 2 gage the ratchet teeth |9 to prevent return movement of the ratchet wheel IS. A return spring 36) is coiled about the shaft I5 and connected between the latter and the handle I! to urge the latter upwardly when released.

A fixed stub shaft 25 extends vertically downward from the carriage member II, and rotat ably supports a traction roller 26. The roller 26 is held in place onthe shaft in any desired" manner, such as by riveting or upsetting the lower extremities of the shaft 25. The traction roller is formed with bevel teeth 27 at its top which mesh with the teeth 20 of the ratchet wheel |8 and with elongated, inclined, can-gripping teeth 28 at its lower portion. The gripping teeth 28 are formed on a cone with the smaller diameter downwardly. A cutting knife blade 29 is fixed to, and extends downwardly from, the carriage member H in closely spaced relation to the periphery of the traction roller 26.

In use, the can-piercing point I3 is forced through the top of a can, such as indicated at 3| in Fig. 1, at approximately the center thereof. The handle I4 is then swung downwardly to place the pivot member l2 in a pivoting position in the can. As the handle is swung downwardly, the carriage H is moved to position the point of the blade 29 immediately inside the bead or rim of the can, and the knife is forced through the metal of the can by forcing the handle l4 downwardly. This causes the bead or side of the can to wedge between the inclined teeth '28 of the traction roller and the cutting blade 29.

The handle I! is now squeezed downwardly toward the handle It by gripping the two handles in one hand. Each downward movement of the handle will cause the ratchet spring 2| to rotate the ratchet wheel l8. This will in turn rotate the traction roller 26, through the intermeshing of the teeth 20 and 21, to cause the roller to travel around the periphery of the can to force the cutting blade around the can to sever the top therefrom. Each time the hand grip is released, the return spring 38 will lift the handle to allow the ratchet spring 2| to obtain a new grip on the teeth l9 until the top is completely severed from the can. The severed top can now be lifted from the can by means of the hooked point l3.

It is desired to call attention to the fact that it is not essential that the pivot |2 be at the center of the can, nor is it essential that the can be round, since the carriage member I will move in and out on the bar It to follow the periphery of a can of any given shape.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is: 1. The combination with a can opener of the type having a pointed, hooked guide bar with a slidable carriage member on said guide bar and a can-cutting blade projecting downwardly from said carriage member, of means for forcing said can-cutting blade around the periphery of a can,

comprising: a fixed stub shaft extending vertically downward from said carriage member ad jacent said cutting blade; a traction roller of greater diameter at its mid-portion than at its bottom and top rotatably mounted on said shaft elongated, inclined, can-gripping teeth extending from the greater diameter mid-portion to the bottom of said roller adapted to engage the outer periphery of a can; beveled gear teeth extending from the greater diameter mid-portion to the top of said roller in alignment with said cangripping teeth; a stationary, horizontal, transverse shaft projecting from said carriage member at right angles to and above said guide bar; a wheel rotatably mounted on said transverse shaft; beveled teeth formed on said wheel and meshing with the beveled teeth on the top of said traction roller; an upper handle member hingedly mounted on said transverse shaft; peripheral ratchet teeth formed in said wheel; a ratchet pawl mounted on said upper handle member and engaging said ratchet teeth to rotate said wheel; and a lower handle member formed on said guide bar in gripping relation to said upper handle member so that when said handle members are forced together, said wheel will be rotated.

2. The combination in a can openerof the type described in claiml of a bifurcated forward extremity on said upper handle member hingedly mounted on the opposite extremities of the transverse shaft and extending on opposite sides of said carriage member and acting to retain said wheel thereagainst; and a click member mounted on said carriage and engaging said ratchet teeth to prevent return rotation of said ratchet wheel.

GEORGE H. COPLEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany .Sept. 6, 1921 

